Ithaca Mayor Asks Albany to Legalize Marijuana

Ithaca, NY (WBNG Binghamton) If leaders in Albany didn't know Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick already, they know him now, following a call for the state to legalize marijuana.

"I really thought this was a time, this was a great time to let them know,” said Mayor Svante Myrick (D-Ithaca), "From my perspective, from the city's perspective, marijuana is not something we should be concerned about from an enforcement angle."

Myrick said his city is engaged in cracking down on drugs, but he says going after pot isn't the answer.

"We've got young kids, kids who are 17, 18, 19-years-old getting arrested for marijuana," he said, "Disproportionately people of color, who are having their records stained by this for the rest of their lives."